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SEMAH (Tobacco - the first sacred medicine)“Semah”, or tobacco, is one of the four sacred plants, representing the Eastern Direction. Ojibwa use a form of tobacco known as “kinikinik”, or a red willow mix. Some still prefer to use the “kinikinik”, but many use store-bought tobacco. “Semah” is used in the offering of prayer to the Creator, acting as a medium for communication. It is either offered to the fire, so the smoke can lift the prayers to the Creator, or it is set on the ground in a nice, clean place.
This is done on a daily basis as each new day is greeted with prayers of thankfulness. The Elders say to hold it in your prayers of thankfulness. They also add that you are to hold it in your left hand as this is the hand closer to your heart.
It is always good to offer “Semah” when seeking knowledge or advice from an Elder or when a Pipe is present.
YELLOW:
East, the direction of the rising sun, is thought of as a Grandfather personifying the winds and natural phenomena of that direction. East is the direction of the physical body. It
symbolizes all that is new in the creation, like newborn creatures, including humans. Like the rising sun, a new day is brought to light. So it is with all things.
Knowledge is brought to consciousness and like the circling of the sun, the seasons change. The East is the time of change. It is the spring, the time of change from blackness to beauty. It is the sun breaking over the horizon.
From the east leading to the west is a Yellow Path. It is said by our elders that this is the path of life, the path of the great warrior, the sun. |
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